Pottstown Memorial Medical Center furloughs 30 workers for 90 days

POTTSTOWN — Pottstown Memorial Medical Center has instituted three-month furloughs for dozens of its employees and one of its units will be closed.

“We are implementing furloughs for less than 4 percent of employees across our hospital. The furloughs impact both (union) represented and non-represented employees. Impacted employees are being reassigned to other open positions as possible,” hospital spokeswoman Debra Bennis wrote in an email Tuesday.

The exact number of total employees at the hospital was not immediately confirmed by hospital officials, and a phone message asking exactly how many people have been furloughed was not immediately answered by the hospital.

The statement Bennis provided included no information about what departments experienced the furloughs. However, one source said the hospital employs 1,000 people and that 3 percent of those, or 30 employees, were given 90-day mandatory furloughs on July 25.

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The source also indicated that none of the furloughs were in clinical jobs and most occurred in administrative posts.

“These furloughs will not impact the care provided for our patients,” Bennis wrote. “We remain focused on efficient operations and committed to providing excellent health care services for our patients and the community.”

The cutbacks are part of a national trend in the health care industry.

“These are challenging times for hospitals across the country. Fewer patients are seeking hospital care, which affects volumes. Some of this is due to higher copays and deductibles that have caused many individuals to defer health care services. Other volume shifts are the result of medical treatments that make more health care services available on an outpatient basis,” Bennis wrote.

“In response to these dynamics and because our hospital regularly adjusts staffing levels to the volume and needs of the patients in our care,” Bennis wrote in explaining the reasons for reducing staff at the hospital.

“We are hopeful that this temporary change will position us to respond as patient volume increases and avoid the need for more significant, permanent cuts,” Bennis wrote.

Some workers took to social media to express their frustration.

“After 32 years of service I am one of the first that were laid off last Friday when the Renal Care Center was closed. I can say it was a very sad day for me and my coworkers and all of our patients,” Cindy DiPaoli, a hemodialysis technician, wrote on The Mercury’s Facebook page.

“I am very fortunate to have landed a job starting only two days after my layoff. That was a blessing,” DiPaoli wrote. “But at the age of 56 I have banked sick time, vacation time, and now I have to start over at a new company. I always thought that I would retire there but CHS had a different plan.”

In addition to the furloughs, Bennis confirmed PMMC is shutting down one of its units.

“At the same time, we have announced the closure of our eight-bed transitional care unit,” Bennis wrote.

“Patients currently receiving care in the unit will continue to do so until their course of care is complete and they are discharged,” Bennis wrote. “This patient population will continued to be served by the numerous highly skilled nursing facilities throughout our community.”